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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

ICD-10:

Celebrate Sinusitis Codes' One-to-One Relationship for ICD-10

Published on Mon Jan 17, 2011

Start getting used to looking in the 'J' diagnosis section of your manual.Don't fear: When ICD-9 becomes ICD-10 in 2013, you may sometimes have a simple one-to-one relationship between old and new ones, meaning that only the coder needs to tweak the way he or she report it.Check out these common sinusitis diagnoses, and discover what you'll report after October 1, 2013.Right now: When your physician treats a patient for sinusitis, you should report the appropriate sinusitis code for sinus membrane lining inflammation. Use 461.x for acute sinusitis. For chronic sinusitis -- frequent or persistent infections lasting more than three months -- assign 473.x.For both acute and chronic conditions, you'll choose the fourth digit code based on where the sinusitis occurs. For example, for ethmoidal chronic sinusitis, you should report (473.2, Chronic sinusitis; ethmoidal). Your otolaryngologist will most likely prescribe a decongestant, pain reliever or antibiotics to treat sinusitis.ICD-10 difference: Good news. [...]
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